LINCOLN 

LOVER OF 
MANKIND 

ELIOT NORTOK 




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Book 



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ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

A Lover of Mankind 



n 




Photograph by Gardner, Washiugtoii, l>. C. 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

A Lover of Mankind 



AN ESSAY 

BY 

ELIOT NORTON 



FRONTISPIECE 



Equality, Fraternity and Liberty 



New York 
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 

1911 






Copyright, 1911, by 
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 
New York 

Publiehed, September, 1911 



THE QUINN A BOOEN CO. PRESS 
RAHWAY, N. J. 






ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

A LOVER OF MANKIND 

Most men have narrow likings. They 
hke particular things, certain animals, 
some men. There are others, however, 
who have broad, catholic and compre- 
hensive likings. These men like whole 
classes of things or special kinds of 
animals. Thus some like pictures, others 
books, others dogs, and others horses, and 
so on. Exactly in the same way some 
men like mankind generally, and accord- 
ingly in their relations with men regu- 
larly show " liking," being at once pleas- 
ant, kindly, friendly, genial and social 
and not cold nor sarcastic nor superior. 
Among the men who are living about us 
those that have most of this disposition 
are the " good fellows," who are found 
in every club. They like other men and 
are genial, friendly and social. Usually, 

[1] 



ABRAHAxM LINCOLN 

However, their liking, although far more 
broad than that of other men, is still 
confined to men who belong to about 
their station in life and have about the 
same habits. For even they talk of their 
" inferiors," and are often far from 
kindly to servants. A liking for men 
which is comprehensive enough to take 
in men of all kinds and stations, rich 
and poor, leaiTied and ignorant, masters 
and servants, is a very rare disposition. 

So rare is it that most men in their 
journeying through the world never meet 
with a single instance of it, no matter 
how long their lives are or how many 
men they meet. So rare is it that among 
men living in the public eye to-day there 
is not one who has this disposition. 

To bring therefore such a man to view, 
we must look back over the recorded 
dead, — a long list, — and yet singularly 
empty of such men. It is hard to find 
them. Still among the English dead two 
can be found who indubitably had a lik- 
ing for men of the very broadest sort. 
[2] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

One was Chaucer and the other S'iy Wal- 
ter Scott. 

That Chaucer had this disposition all 
people who have ever noted the best 
evidence of it, — the expression of his 
spirit in his works, — agree in saying. 

James Russell Lowell wrote: ^ " Chau- 
cer was a good man, genial, sincere, 
hearty, temperate of mind, more wise, 
perhaps, for this world than the next, 
but thoroughly humane, and friendly with 
God and men. . . . We are sure that 
here was a true brother-man, so kindly 
that in his ' House of Fame,' after nam- 
ing the great poets, he throws in a 
pleasant word for the oaten pipes 

^ Of the little herd-grooms 
That keepen beasts among the brooms/ '* 

There are many proofs of the truth 
of every word of this characterization. 
The mere scheme of the Canterbury 
Tales shows it; to wit: the companion- 
ship of a number of people, only casually 
united, who willingly and socially contrib- 

[2] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

ute to the pleasure and entertainment 
of all by telling stories. What is this 
but genial fellow feeling? Moreover, 
story -.telling is one of the oldest and 
most delightful expressions of good fel- 
lowship. Where good fellows have con- 
gregated, whether in the earliest days 
in the Cave or later in the Market Place 
or in modern times at the Club, they have 
told good stories. Nobody but a good 
fellow, a true brother-man, as Mr. Lowell 
so happily puts it, would have known 
this, would have found it so vital to his 
being, so inseparable from his thought, 
as to make it the medium in which he ex- 
pressed himself. Le style c'est I'homme. 
And to see how broad and catholic 
was Chaucer's liking for his fellow men 
one has only to turn to the Prologue. 
Here are described twenty-seven people: 
a Knight, a young squire, a yeoman, a 
prioress, a monk, a friar, a merchant, 
a clerk of Oxenford, a sergeant of law, 
a franklin, a haberdasher, a carpenter, 
a weaver, a dyer, a tapicer, a cook, a 

[4] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

shipman, a doctor of physic, a wife of 
Bathe, a poor Parson of a Town, a 
ploughman, a miller, a maunciple, a 
reeve, a sompnour, a pardoner, and an 
inn-keeper, — all sorts and conditions of 
men, — yet Chaucer shows a liking for 
them all. Not only does he like his 
Knight, who " loved chivalry, truth and 
honor, freedom and courtesy;" and the 
poor Parson, who was " a good man;" 
and the ploughman, who " loved God 
best and then his neighbor right as him- 
self;" but he also likes the shipman, al- 
though " of nice conscience took he no 
keep;" and the sompnour who could 
pluck an innocent; and the miller and 
pardoner and friar and wife of Bathe, 
although no more than the shipman and 
the sompnour did they of nice conscience 
take heed; and so on with the rest of his 
twenty-seven, — to no one of whom is 
Chaucer ungenial or unfriendly. 

This spirit of broad humanity, of lik- 
ing all men of all sorts and conditions, of 
friendliness, of sociability, of genial en- 

[5] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

joyment in the companionship of one'i 
fellow mortals also shows itself in th( 
special importance Chaucer attributed tc 
it by giving at least a modicum of it tc 
almost every one of his many characters 
The inn-keeper was " right a meiT^ 
man;" the pardoner could sing " f ul 
merrily and loud;" " a better fellow thai 
the sompnour men should not find;" th 
miller was a jolly joker and teller o: 
stories; the Knight's son was a gay an( 
cheerful youth, " singing or fluting al 
the day;" the shij)man was "certainly 
a good fellow;" the clerk of Oxenfon 
had a pleasant companionable nature 
" for gladly would he learn and gladb 
teach;" the wife of Bathe "in fellow 
ship well could laugh and talk " anc 
the prioress had the very quintessence o 
good fellowship, for 

''Sikerly she was of great disport. 
And ful pleasant, and amyable of port 
And peynede her to counter fete cheer i 
Of Court, and he estatlich of manere. 
And to he holden digne of reverence,' 

[6] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

Another man of this same disposition, 
mother true brother-man, was Sir Wat- 
er Scott. Though some men are unto 
lonor made and some unto dishonor, yet 
11 are made by the same maker of the 
ame clay; and this clay, whether in the 
hape of king or clown, master or man, 
>cott liked. His biographer says:^ " I 
lelieve Scott has somewhere expressed in 
)rint his satisfaction that among all 
he changes of our manners, the ancient 
reedom of personal intercourse may 
till be indulged in between a master and 
-n out-of-doors servant; but in truth he 
:ept by the old fashion, even with domes- 
ic servants, to an extent which I have 
lardly seen practiced by any other gen- 
leman. He conversed with his coach- 
iian, if he sat by him, as he often did, 
>n the box; with his footman, if he 
hanced to be in the rumble. . . . In- 
leed, he did not confine this humanity to 
lis own people; any steady servant of a 
riend of his was soon considered a sort 
)f friend too, and was sure to have a 
[7] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

kind little colloquy to himself at com- 
ing and going." This is corroborated by 
the expressive phrase of one of these de- 
pendants:^ " Sir Walter speaks to every 
man as if they were blood relations." 
And is still further corroborated by the 
striking words of his friend, Miss Jo- 
anna Baillie, who said: "He made the 
auld fish-wife feel that she was as good 
company for the Shirra (that is, the 
Sheriff, Sir Walter) as the Shirra was 
for her." * And his genial, kindly nature 
is also testified to by Tom Moore, no 
mean judge, who described^ him as " a 
thorough good fellow;" and by a man of 
a totally different disposition, Words- 
worth, the poet, who said,^ " Wherever 
we named him, we found that the word 
acted as an open sesamum; and I be- 
lieve that in the character of the Sheriff's 
friends, we might have counted on a 
hearty welcome under any roof in the 
border country." And Walter Bagehot, 
who of all English critics had the most 
knowledge of human nature, wrote of 

[8] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

him that, " In his lifetime people denied 
he was a poet, but nobody said he was 
not ' the best fellow ' in Scotland, . . . 
or that he had not more wise joviality, 
more living talk, more graphic humor, 
than any man in Great Britain." ^ 

If one considers the characteristics of 
this disposition it can readily be seen 
why it is so rare. It has to meet the 
partial hostility of both Nature and So- 
ciety. For while both these favor the 
existence of social virtues, yet both are 
opposed to the catholicity of this disposi- 
tion which not alone tolerates but likes 
the weak as well as the strong, the unfit 
as well as the fit, the sinner as well as 
the saint, the outcast as well as the elect. 

Then too, almost every fault to which 
the human race is prone interferes with 
this disposition. Selfishness in its myriad 
forms, envy, hatred and all uncharitable- 
ness, malice, hardness of heart, cruelty 
and want of feeling all stand in its way 
and check it. If any of these faults 
are marked in a man, and they are com- 
[9] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

mon, such a disposition cannot also exist 
in him. 

Furthermore, should a man combine 
great abilities with this disposition he will 
be one of a very few since the world be- 
gan. For a sense of personal distinction 
or superiority does not fit with this broad 
liking, any more than with the Christian 
maxim — Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself. Great abilities are rare and 
great men human. Such men are ac- 
tually so superior to the common herd 
that it would be unnatural if they did 
not recognize this daily and even hourly. 
From this simple recognition to only the 
most innocent and just sense of supe- 
riority is but a step. Yet that step puts 
a broad liking for men forever to the 
rear, so often to be left farther and 
farther behind as pride, vanity and arro- 
gance, the ever ready companions of 
greatness, conduct to other steps away. 

What is rarest, however, is for a man 
to possess this disposition and combine it 
not only with great abilities but also with 

[10] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

high public station. For the latter almost 
necessarily compels the acquirement of a 
manner which is distant, dignified and re- 
served, to serve, like the elaborately for- 
mal etiquette which surrounds royal per- 
sonages, as a kind of protective armor 
from the many inconveniences of posi- 
tion. But, however necessary and useful, 
such a manner is fatal to the maintenance 
of genial and social relations, and so in 
the passage of time wears away any 
native disposition to like men and show 
them friendliness. 

Besides, great public men are very 
busy, and. much occupation with one's 
thoughts or with other men in large af- 
fairs does not permit of the drafts on 
one's time which are made by a strong 
liking for men. For if one has that, one 
will not mind any interruption, but will 
be glad to see and talk in a friendly and 
leisurely way with every caller, and will 
spend much time in social intercourse 
with men. This, it will be admitted, is 
not the way of great public personages. 
[11] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

Thus it is that among the recorded 
dead it is scarcely possible to find any 
men of great ability, who also led public 
lives, who had this disposition. One of 
the very few who had in full measure this 
genial, kindly fellow feeling was Saladin. 
It was his broad humanity and liking for 
men more than anything else that led to 
the admiration in which he was held by 
both friend and foe. Everybody found 
him as they did Sir Walter Scott " a 
thorough good fellow." His biographer 
says,^ — " Far from adopting an im- 
posing mien and punctilious forms, no 
sovereign was ever more genial and easy 
of approach. He loved to surround him- 
self with clever talkers, and was himself 
* delightful to talk to.' . . . His sym- 
pathy and unaffected interest set every- 
one at his ease." Saladin, says Abd-el- 
Latif,^ who knew him well, was " ap- 
proachable, deeply intellectual, gracious 
and noble in his thoughts. All who came 
near him took him as their model. . . . 
The first night I was with him I found 

[12] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

him surrounded by a large concourse 
of learned men, who were discussing vari- 
ous sciences. He listened with pleasure 
and took part in their conversations." 
Besides enjoying association with men, 
he showed his liking for them in many 
ways, especially by the tender-hearted- 
ness, goodness and mercy for which he 
was famous. The Defender of the True 
Faith, the Commander of the Faithful in 
a Holy War, yet he was naturally averse 
to bloodshed and unwarlike by nature. 
To his inferiors in position he was very 
kind, simple, sympathetic and friendly. 
He could not bear to have his servants 
beaten in an age when the beating of 
servants was a matter of course. " Our 
Sultan," says Baba-ed-din,^ " was very 
noble of heart, and kindness shone in his 
face." His life was full of kindly acts 
to men, women and children. 

Apart from those conditions pertain- 
ing to great ability and public station 
which are unfavorable to this disposition, 
it is also clear that it cannot be congenial 

[13] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

to aristocrats, whether they be really so 
or whether they in conceit think they are 
so. Nor does it matter on what their 
aristocracy is founded, whether on birth, 
intelligence or power, or on wealth or 
position. Still less does it matter whether 
it is located in the Rue St. Honore or 
in Mud Alley. For in every aristocracy, 
in every aristocrat, the essential idea is 
that of being better than one's neighbors. 
And this is enough to prevent a liking 
for many men, — one's neighbors being 
always numerous and not aristocratic. 

So too among business men or those 
engaged in competitive pursuits the ele- 
ment of conflict which is involved in all 
business and competition stands in the 
way of liking the men you meet and 
treating them genially and socially. In- 
deed, the end of business and competi- 
tion is to get, if not the best, at least the 
better of the other man. Thus in cities 
where " the eager rivalry of life, the 
cruel conflict for pre-eminence, the quick 
seizure and fast unrelaxing hold of van- 
[14] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

tage place, the stony hard resolve, the 
chase, the competition, and the craft which 
seem to be the poison of om^ lives, and 
yet are the condition of our lives " ^^ 
are developed to their highest degree, this 
virtue of a general liking is not common. 
God, it is said, did not make the city. 

On the other hand, it would seem, 
judging from probabilities alone, that 
the conditions under which this disposi- 
tion would most readily flourish would 
be among simple people living simple 
country lives, — " under the shadow of the 
steeple," — far from the madding crowd, 
free from distinctions of rank. And it 
would add to the probabilities if all this 
were located in a young democracy dedi- 
cated to the proposition that all men are 
born equal, and in which to a great extent 
all men were equal. 

However this may be, the disposition 
to like men generally was in some degree 
of magnitude frequently found among 
native Americans who lived during the 
first seventy-five years of the last century. 

[15] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

It was perhaps the greatest as well as the 
last gift of the young, poor Democracy. 
It was the realization by the people of 
one of the three great ideals of their 
form of government, — the ideal of fra- 
ternity, of being brother-men. And it is 
very fine and striking that Abraham Lin- 
coln, a true child of that Democracy, and 
its last President before the changes 
which the War of the Rebellion and the 
increase in Wealth have brought about, 
should have been endowed with this dis- 
position raised to its highest excellence 
and power. " He was naturally dis- 
posed to think well of his race. His 
prepossessions were generally in favor 
of a man. He would rather love than 
hate him; in fact, it seemed as if he 
could not hate him if he would." ^^ " He 
had no envy, malice or spite — no ill- 
feeling of any kind toward anybody." ^" 
Throughout his life he gave an enor- 
mous number of manifestations of this 
liking for his fellow men; and liking 
can be shown by sociability, by kindliness 
[16] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

in speech, manner and act, by good fel- 
lowship, and by humanity and in many 
other ways. His biographers have re- 
counted and by many different adjectives 
have characterized these manifestations 
of liking on his part, but they have failed 
to gather them together and so to clearly 
show that their real motive force lay in 
a disposition to like mankind. It is 
therefore certainly justifiable, although 
so much has been written of Lincoln, to 
describe his disposition with considerable 
care and elaboration, especially in view 
of the great and noble light it casts on 
his character and acts. In doing so a 
word of warning is pertinent. The con- 
sideration of one great quality in a man, 
apart from his other characteristics, 
especially with the cumulative effect pro- 
duced by one illustration after another, 
tends to give an exaggerated notion of 
it and to dwarf or hide his other quali- 
ties of heart and mind, intelligence and 
character. To counteract this, one must 
at all times remember that Lincoln had 
other great characteristics as highly de- 
[17] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

veloped as his disposition to like men 
generally. To dwell on the latter is not 
to the exclusion of his other traits. In 
nothing more than a combination of 
great qualities essentially strong and 
highly developed was Lincoln remark- 
able. But not until we appreciate his 
great qualities taken singly can we esti- 
mate their union in its exceptionality, 
greatness and splendor. 

The best proof of a disposition to 
like men generally is to be fond of asso- 
ciating with them. For everybody en- 
joys being with the people one likes, 
The adorer is happy when he is with 
the adored, and the man who likes men 
enjoys mixing with his fellow men and 
having them about him. The life pur- 
sued by the recluse, the solitary or the 
anchorite is not for such men, while a 
life crowded with social intercourse, with 
mingling with people, with meetings, is 
the sort of life in which their nature finds 
most happiness and congeniality. Thus 
they have a peculiar fondness for all 

[18] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

festivities and merrymakings and all 
gatherings where friendliness and soci- 
ability are displayed and mirth and jol- 
lity prevail. In such meetings their dis- 
position manifests itself and they show 
the liking they feel by being at once 
genial, pleasant, social and friendly. 
This they are naturally, unconsciously, 
and without an effort, for it is the appro- 
priate expression of their own unassumed 
feelings. In brief, they seek compan- 
ionship and are good companions, they 
enjoy fellowship and are good fellows. 
Lincoln answers to these tests. Through- 
out his life he felt an intense, pleasurable 
emotion in companionsliip, in jollity and 
in good fellowship. 

Among the early settlers of Indiana 
and Illinois, with whom he lived as a boy 
and young man, friendly and social gath- 
erings were customary and frequent,^^ 
making due allowance that these people 
were few in number and that except in the 
settlements they lived far apart. Chief 
among these were weddings, dances, 
[19] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

house and barn raisings, " hoe downs," 
corn huskings, quilting parties and spell- 
ing bees. To all of these Lincoln liked 
to go. Lamon says ^* that when not in- 
vited to a merrymaking he " got mad." 
Then there were sports and games of all 
kinds, horse races, cock fights, trials of 
strength, wrestling and running matches. 
These too he liked to attend, and was 
himself a famous wrestler.^^ Miss Tar- 
bell states ^^ perceptively that " the sports 
he preferred were those that brought men 
together." This is true, and it explains 
why, although the country was full of 
game and all men commonly hunted, Lin- 
coln did not; it was a too solitary, still, 
and unsociable way of spending his time 
to suit his nature. ^^ 

On the other hand he loved to join 
any crowd of men that were socially 
passing the time away as they often did 
at the store, the mill or the blacksmith's.^^ 
At such gatherings he was a large con- 
tributor of humor, geniality and mirth. 
He did so in various ways. He made 

[20] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

comic and serious speeches, he dehvered 
mock sermons, he retailed the news of 
the day, he sang songs, he was full of 
jokes, but his favorite mode was to tell 
humorous stories/^ His cousin, Den- 
nis Hanks, says that " in Gentry ville, 
about one mile west of Thomas Lincoln's 
farm, Lincoln would go and tell his jokes 
and stories, etc., and was so odd, original 
and humorous and witty that all the peo- 
ple in the town would gather around him. 
He would keep them there till mid- 
night." '' 

And then Dennis adds a naive touch, 
" I would get tired, want to go home, 
cuss Abe most heartily." How often in 
the world has a man less socially inclined 
than some more convivial companion 
*' cussed him most heartily " for not being 
willing to go home. 

When Lincoln was just twenty-two, he, 
with his stepbrother and a cousin, went 
down the Sangamon river in a canoe. 
'Not far from Springfield they pulled out, 
cut down some trees, hewed the logs 

[21] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

square and then rafted them down to 
Sangamon town. There, at Kilpatrick's 
mill, they got their logs sawed and out of 
the planks built a flat boat. While doing 
so they lived in a shanty and boarded 
themselves, Lincoln acting as cook. He 
is described ^' as being " funny, jokey 
and full of yarns, stories and rigs." It 
was the custom in Sangamon for the men 
to gather at noon and in the evening, 
when resting, in a convenient lane near 
the mill, where they had rolled out a long 
peeled log on which they lounged while 
they whittled and talked. Lincoln did 
not spend his hours by himself about the 
shanty but before he had been long in 
Sangamon joined this circle. Although 
a stranger, he at once became a favorite 
by his jokes, stories and good humor. So 
irresistibly droll were his " yams " that, 
says an eye witness, " whenever he'd end 
up in his unexpected way the boys on the 
log w^ould whoop and roll off." Presently 
out of compliment to the story-teller the 
men christened their seat, " Abe's log." " 

[22] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

A few months later he " drifted into " 
the now long vanished town of New Sa- 
lem. An election was going on and a 
crowd had gathered round the polling 
place. Lincoln joined it and when the 
Clerk of Elections wanted help he quickly 
but modestly volunteered. Later on 
when the votes came in slowly and things 
grew dull he told stories to amuse the 
crowd."^ All this is thoroughly char- 
acteristic of a disposition to like men ; and 
scenes like this where Lincoln was one 
of a crowd and told stories to entertain 
it were of constant recurrence through- 
out his life. Even when engaged in some 
pursuit which was intrinsically silent and 
solitary, like manual labor in the fields 
or surveying, his disposition manifested 
itself in this way. Thus John Romine, 
for whom he sometimes worked as a day 
laborer, had cause to complain and " used 
to get mad at him," for Lincoln " would 
laugh and talk and crack jokes and tell 
stories all the time." ^* And when he got 
a job of surveying " there was a picnic 
[23] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

and a jolly time in the neighborhood. 
Men and boys gathered from far and 
near, ready to carry chain, drive stakes 
and blaze trees, if they could only hear 
Lincoln's odd stories and jokes. The 
fun was intersjiersed with foot races and 
wrestling matches." ^^ Such narratives 
furnish clear proof of his good fellow- 
ship and hking for men. 

The town of New Salem in which 
Lincoln settled was a small and very 
primitive place, yet there was a large 
variety of people living there in propor- 
tion to the actual numbers of the popula- 
tion, ranging from what was fine if un- 
polished to what was very rough.^^ Lin- 
coln associated with everybody on the 
pleasantest and most intimate footing. 
The best men of the town, the so-called 
Squire, the Minister, the tavern keeper, 
the schoolmaster, the village loafers. Jack 
Armstrong and the " Clary's Grove 
Boys," a very rough lot, were all his 
friends and so were their wives and 
children. ^^ 

[24] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

The year following his arrival an In- 
dian uprising took place, which gained 
the name of the Black Hawk War. Some 
regular troops took the field and volun- 
teers to co-operate with them were called 
for. The young men of New Salem and 
vicinity formed a company and elected 
Lincoln their captain.^^ The so-called 
" campaign " against the Indians lasted 
some months and partook largely of a 
man's picnic. There was fun, " sport," 
and contests of strength during the days 
and much jollity and story-telling around 
the camp fires at night. Lincoln took a 
prominent part in all that went on, — 
joining in with the utmost heartiness, — 
and gave abundant proof of his liking 
men and his pleasure in associating with 
them.'' Incidentally he also showed his 
humanity by saving a miserable, unarmed 
Indian from being slaughtered in cold 
blood by some of his men.^*^ This would 
not be a very noteworthy illustration of a 
disposition to regard all men as brothers 
except for remembering that, broadly 

[25] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

speaking, no Indian was regarded in a 
friendly way as a man and a brother; and 
that kilhng one was considered both a 
public benefaction and a legitimate sport. 
Lincoln's attitude was thus exceptional 
and showed the strength of his disposi- 
tion, especially as his interference was ex- 
tremely unpopular and could not be 
understood by his men. 

On his return he ran for the Legisla- 
ture of Illinois and actually polled 277 
votes of the 290 that were cast and de- 
clared in the election precinct of New 
Salem.^' He never could have obtained 
such a majority of the votes after a resi- 
dence among the voters of less than two 
years unless he had associated with all 
men on terms of equality and fraternity. 
Nothing else but the most exceptional 
circumstances could have produced the 
same result, and such exceptional circum- 
stances did not exist. 

From this time until he was forty he 
was extremely active in politics. He 
represented his district for eight succes- 
[26] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

sive years in the Legislature and finally 
went to Congress. Such office seeking 
and holding, especially in a young demo- 
cratic community, involved much asso- 
ciation with one's fellow men. So much 
so that a man who did not thoroughly 
enjoy association with his fellow men 
would hardly adopt politics as a career 
and certainly would not be successful 
therein. Votes were obtained more by 
personal solicitation and consequential 
liking than by party affiliation and sup- 
port. Rival candidates would travel 
separately or together over their district, 
meeting the voters singly or in crowds. 
They would talk j)olitics with any man they 
met and would make speeches whenever 
they could get an audience.^^ In all this 
personal and intimate campaigning Lin- 
coln manifested great enjoyment. His 
genial good fellowship and pleasant dem- 
ocratic ways were constantly displayed. 
He assumed no airs of superiority and 
was ever a simple, humorous and friendly 
brother-man. 

[27] 



ABHAHAM LINCOLN 

After living about six years in New 
Salem and when he was twenty-eight 
years old he moved to Springfield where 
he settled permanently. His life there 
shows that he enjoyed all association with 
his fellow townspeople and manifested 
therein geniality, good fellowship and 
sociability. Until he was married he 
lived over the store of his friend Speed 
and was one of a number of young men 
who made the store ^^ their club. With 
them, he formed a society for the en- 
couragement of debate and other literary 
efforts.^* They also founded the " Young 
Men's Lyceum," a more ambitious so- 
ciety. It "contained and commanded," 
says Herndon,^^ " all the culture and 
talent of the place." Lincoln was also 
" admitted to the best society " and " was 
recognized as a valuable social factor." ^^ 
Just as at Gentryville he liked to go to 
all parties. " His name appears in every 
list of banqueters and merrymakers re- 
ported in the Springfield papers. He 
even served on committees for cotillon 

[28] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

parties." ^^ A lady, who had known Lin- 
coln in these Sj^ringfield days, told Miss 
Tarbell that " he was alwaj^s a welcome 
guest everywhere, and the centre of a 
circle of animated talkers. Indeed, I 
think the only thing we girls had against 
Lincoln was that he always attracted all 
the men around him." ^^ 

" He was a man," says his close friend. 
Governor Washburne, " of the most so- 
cial disposition and was never so happy as 
when surrounded by congenial friends."^^ 
And accordingly he spent much time in 
social intercourse with men. Judge 
Gillespie, who knew him intimately, 
states that " as a boon companion, 
Mr. Lincoln, though he never drank a 
drop of liquor or used tobacco in any 
form in his life, was without a rival." ^^ 

He was thirty-nine years old when, in 
1848, he was in Washington as member 
of Congress. While there he was no 
more a recluse than he had been in 
Gentryville, New Salem or Springfield. 
His " simple, sincere friendliness and his 
[29] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

quaint humor soon won him a sure, if 
quiet, social position in Washington. He 
was frequently invited to Mr. Webster's 
Saturday breakfasts," ^^ where his stories 
were highly relished for their originality 
and drollery. " Socially he always kept 
his company in a roar of laughter," says 
Alexander H. Stephens, who at this 
time knew him " well and intimately." ^^ 
His name often appears in the 
" National Intelligencer " on committees 
to offer a public dinner to this or that 
great man, and in the Spring of 1849 he 
was one of the managers of the Inaugural 
Ball given to President Taylor.^^ He 
was a very popular member of a small 
club of good fellows and very genial 
talkers, who met almost daily to pass a 
mirthful hour or so in lively discussion of 
the news of the day and in telling humor- 
ous stories, in both of which social amuse- 
ments Lincoln alwaj^s participated with 
the greatest zest and pleasure. Mr. Ben 
Perly Poore, a well known newspaper 
correspondent, relates how this came 

[30] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

about and gives a vivid picture of Lin- 
coln. He says: "During the Christmas 
holidays Mr. Lincoln found his way into 
the small room used as the post office of 
the House, where a few jovial raconteurs 
used to meet almost every morning, after 
the mail had been distributed into the 
members' boxes, to exchange such new 
stories as any of them might have ac- 
quired since they had last met. After 
modestly standing at the door for several 
days, Mr. Lincoln was ' reminded ' of a 
story, and by New Year's he was recog- 
nized as the champion story-teller of the 
Capitol. His favorite seat was at the left 
of the open fireplace, tilted back in his 
chair, with his long legs reaching over to 
the chimney jamb. He never told a story 
twice, but appeared to have an endless 
repertoire of them always ready, like 
the successive charges in a magazine gun, 
and always pertinently adapted to some 
passing event." ^' Another social amuse- 
ment was bowling, in games of which, 
with some of his friends and acquaint- 

[31] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

ances, he frequently took part. He 
greatly enjoyed the game, the crowd, the 
prevailing spirit of jollity and the atmos- 
phere of good feeling and fellowship. A 
capital description of him as he appeared 
on the alleys exists, written by a Dr. 
Busey, who boarded at the same board- 
ing house with him and thus saw him 
daily. In his " Personal Reminiscences " 
Dr. Busey wrote,*^ " I soon learned to 
know and admire Lincoln for his simple 
and unostentatious manners, kindheart- 
edness and amusing jokes, anecdotes and 
witticisms. . . . He was very fond of 
bowling and would frequently join others 
of the mess or meet other members of 
Congress in a match game at the alley of 
James Casparis, which was near the 
boarding house. He was a very awk- 
ward bowler, but played the game with 
great zest and spirit, solely for exercise 
and amusement, and added greatly to 
the enjoyment and entertainment of the 
other players and bystanders by his 
criticisms and funny illustrations. He 

[32] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

accepted success and defeat with like 
good nature and humor, and left the alley 
at the conclusion of the game without a 
sorrow or disappointment. When it was 
known that he was in the alley, therq 
would assemble numbers of people to 
witness the fun which was anticipated by 
those who knew of his fund of anecdotes 
and jokes. When in the alley, sur- 
rounded by a crowd of eager listeners, 
he indulged with great freedom in the 
sport of narrative, some of which were 
very broad." " Sikerly he was of great 
disport " and " well in fellowship could 
laugh and talk." 

In reference to Lincoln's proclivity 
for telling stories it should be noted 
that giving pleasure to others is often 
a manifestation of liking and that story- 
telling is one of the most ancient, sim- 
ple and direct ways of entertaining and 
thus giving pleasure to another per- 
son. It is consequently habitually done 
by most men who like their fellow men. 
It is a peculiarly appropriate and char- 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

acteristic mode of expression for such 
men to use. And from the time he was a 
boy to the very day of his death Lincoln 
was a great teller of humorous and amus- 
ing stories.*^ Some he no doubt told to 
give point to a statement, and some per- 
haps in his later hfe to get rehef and 
relaxation, but the great mass of them, 
probably more than ninety out of a hun- 
dred, were told just because he liked the 
listener. He was in a crowd, or he met 
a man, — friend, acquaintance, or stranger 
made Kttle difference, — he felt friendly, 
kindly, sociable, and so he told a story. 
We lose the real significance of these 
stories if we regard their telling as an in- 
tentionally acquired custom or calculated 
practice. Their true and deep signifi- 
cance lies in being a way in which Lin- 
coln expressed his liking for men. 

There have been three criticisms made 
of these stories, — that Lincoln told too 
many, — that he occasionally told stories 
of a broad and jocose flavor, too coarse 
for some ears, — and lastly, that in the 

[34] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

dramatic narration of a story he showed 
want of respect for the dignity of his 
office when President. In small measure 
these criticisms are true, but they are of 
slight importance if we consider Lin- 
coln's stories as merely a manifestation 
of his disposition to like men. In this 
aspect they redound to liis credit. More- 
over, taking these criticisms at their high- 
est value, it is surely of trifling conse- 
quence that he erred sometimes in what 
were in his case only matters of taste. 
We can waive those, we could put up 
with far greater errors of taste, if Lin- 
coln gains as he deserves to gain the 
reputation to which he is entitled of lik- 
ing his fellow men, of ever being pleasant 
and genial with them, of telling no story 
except to please. There is no story of 
his that has not a hearty laugh in it, or 
that was ever told with any object except 
to give healthy amusement or occasionally 
to point an argument. Story-telHng such 
as his was is liigh proof by itself of his 
companionable and social nature. 

[35] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

On his return to Springfield from 
Washington his disposition to like peo- 
ple suffered no change or abatement. 
Nothing was more illustrative of this 
than his customary demeanor as he 
walked about the streets. Miss Tarbell 
gives an excellent description of it, say- 
ing ** that " Lincoln's kindly interest and 
perfect democratic feeling attached him 
to many people whom he never met save 
on the streets. Indeed his life in the 
streets of Springfield is a most touch- 
ing and delightful study. He concerned 
himself in the progress of every building 
which was put up, of every new street 
which was opened; he passed nobody 
without recognition; he seemed always 
to have time to stop and talk." " Fre- 
quently in going along the street and 
meeting some friend he would start in 
with ' By the way, I am just reminded 
of a story,' ^^ and he would stop in the 
street and tell the yarn. There was no 
postponement on account of the weath- 
er." *^ Thus he did not need a lively 
[36] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

crowd to stimulate and arouse his disposi- 
tion to genial and mirthful manifesta- 
tions, and so great was its strength that 
meetings which would have passed off 
with most people in empty conventional 
expressions were turned by him into so- 
cial occurrences which he enjoyed and in 
which he gave pleasure. The same thing 
happened when people came to see him in 
his office. Mr. Herndon states that : *^ 
" No matter how deeply interested in his 
work, if any one came in he had some- 
thing humorous and pleasant to say, and 
usually wound up by telling a joke or 
an anecdote. I have heard him relate 
the same story three times within as many 
hours to persons who came in at differ- 
ent periods, and every time he laughed 
as heartily and enjoyed it as if it were a 
new story." This great pleasantness of 
demeanor is testified to by many people. 
His partner, who would know it if anj^- 
body did, says *^ that: *' He was always 
easy of approach and thoroughly demo- 
cratic. He seemed to throw a charm 
[37] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

around every man who ever met him. To 
be in his presence was a pleasure and no 
man left his company with injured feel- 
ings unless most richly deserved." And 
Judge David Davis, who observed him 
intimately for many years, summed the 
matter up when he said that " Mr. Lin- 
coln's presence on the circuit was watched 
for with interest, and never failed to 
produce joy or liilarity. When casually 
absent, the spirits of both bar and people 
were depressed." *^ 

Next to his demeanor, the way he spent 
his leisure time is most indicative of his 
disposition. For every man spends his 
leisure as he likes best, and Lincoln habit- 
ually spent his in social companionship 
vrith men. His friend, Mr. Whitney, 
writes ^° that " Mr. Lincoln shone re- 
splendently in association in a social 
sense with men. . . . He had a habit of 
being * out with the boys,' and might be 
found frequently at Burnes's grocery at 
the southwest corner of the public square 
in Springfield entertaining the crowd. 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

such being the custom of the place at this 
time, and Burnes's was a general loafing 
place for all the local wits of the place." 

His liking for men was so broad, he 
enjoyed so much being with a genial 
crowd that he was not at all j^articular 
what sort of men composed it, — all were 
brothers. He belonged to the inner cir- 
cle of the lawyers of the Menard County 
Bar; with them he had the happiest 
times of his life, among them were his 
closest personal friends, they were his 
intellectual companions, and to be in- 
different to or dislike persons outside of 
any set to which one belongs is the com- 
mon attribute of man, yet, one of these 
friends says ^^ that he " would regale a 
miscellaneous crowd of farmers, stable 
boys and general roustabouts in the com- 
mon waiting-room of a country inn with 
as much apparent zest as our coterie, em- 
bracing the elite of the bench and bar." 

When temporarily away from Spring- 
field he loved to surround himself with a 
crowd at the store or the tavern, and 
1^9] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

there, never drinking, forever telling 
stories, while the time away in laughter, 
jollity and good fellowship. Mr. Hern- 
don gives an interesting picture of him 
under these circumstances. He writes: 
" In the role of a story-teller I am prone 
to regard Mr. Lincoln as without an 
equal. I have seen him surrounded by a 
crowd numbering as many as two and in 
some cases three hundred persons, all 
deeply interested in the outcome of a 
story." ..." While on the circuit in 
Menard County, Lincoln met with Wil- 
liam Engle and James Murray, two men 
who were noted also for their story-telling 
proclivities. . . . When Lincoln, Murray 
and Engle met, there was sure to be a 
crowd. All were more or less masters in 
their art. I have seen the little country 
tavern where these three men were wont 
to meet after an adjournment of court, 
crowded almost to suffocation with an 
audience of men who had gathered to wit- 
ness the contest among the members of 
the strange triumvirate. The physician 

[40] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

of the town, all the lawyers, and not un- 
frequently a preacher, could be found in 
the crowd that filled the doors and win- 
dows. . . . Every recital was followed 
by its ' storm of laughter and chorus of 
cheers ' . . . I have known these story- 
telling jousts to continue long after mid- 
night — in some cases till the very small 
hours of the morning." " 

A charming and wholly different pic- 
ture of his love of associating with men is 
given by a Mr. Walker in the Lincoln 
Memorial Album. He says:^^ 

" My personal recollection of Mr. Lin- 
coln, and what I have seen of him, in and 
about Springfield, dated from about the 
year 1842, and was almost continuous 
until he left for Washington, in Febru- 
ary, 1861 ; . . . I well remember his com- 
ing in the ofiice of Colonel Baker, where 
I studied and read law, almost every 
afternoon; and with his cheerful face and 
hearty greeting to mj^self and other 
students, ' How are you this afternoon, 
boys,' seat himself, and take up some text 

[41] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

book that some of us were reading, and 
give us a close and rigid examination,^* 
laughing heartily at our answers, at 
times; and always made the hour he 
spent with us interesting and instructive; 
occasionally relating, to the great amuse- 
ment of all present, an anecdote; and, 
after the hour so spent, he would go out 
to a backyard used by the students and 
join them in a game of ball, with as 
much zest as any of us." ^^ 

Obviously a man who has the disposi- 
tion to like men generally will greatly en- 
joy clubs. They offer him an ideal exist- 
ence — just what his nature demands. 
This further proof of having this sort of a 
disposition Lincoln furnished in the full- 
est measure. Between 1836, when he 
was admitted to the Bar, until 1860, 
when he was elected President, Lincoln 
practiced Law as a profession and means 
of livelihood. During these years the 
courts in Illinois were peripatetic and 
were held in one town after another on a 
regular circuit. The lawyers followed the 

[42] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

courts about and thus " went on circuit," 
as it is called. When lawyers do so they 
form an itinerant club. In Illinois the 
life among law^^ers on circuit was much 
the same as it is the world over, except 
that the circumstances were very primi- 
tive and involved extreme intimacy. 
Travelling together in thixe seated spring 
wagons, in buggies and on horseback, 
the judge and lawyers went from town to 
town. They put up in country taverns in 
which there was little or no privacy or 
possibility of exclusiveness. " Ordinarily 
they slept two in a bed, with three or four 
beds in a room. They ate at a common 
table with jurors, witnesses, prisoners out 
on bail, travelling peddlers, teamsters and 
laborers." ^*^ In the hours not occupied 
in Court Sessions or in pilgrimaging to- 
gether from town to town they would 
mingle with the townspeople and while 
away the time, gossiping, discussing poli- 
tics or telling stories. There was no 
getting away from one another except 
by going alone into the woods. 

[43] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

For a great part of eighteen years, 
the whole of his middle life, Lincoln 
travelled the circuit and led this life. In 
every year of those eighteen years he 
was gone for several months away from 
home, sometimes even as much as six 
months continuously, and the circuit 
which he travelled was as large as the 
State of Massachusetts." This was far 
more time than any other lawyer spent 
on circuit and in Lincoln's case there 
seems to have been absolutely no reason 
for it except that he Hked it. Mr. Hill, 
who has given these years of his life par- 
ticular study, says that the periods he 
spent on circuit were the happiest times 
of his life.'^ They could not have been, 
nor could he have enjoyed this life, unless 
he had loved the closest intimacy with his 
fellows, for that was the web and the 
woof of it. As soon expect a recluse to 
be happy if he had to spend his days 
and nights at a popular club as for one 
not liking his fellow men to enjoy life 
on the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Illinois. 
[ ^^i ] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

While " travelling the circuit " for all 
these years Lincoln displayed the quali- 
ties natural to his disposition and by 
doing so showed he enjoyed the life. He 
was a joyous, friendly companion — 
humorous, genial and a large contributor 
of mirth and jollity. To describe him 
as he appeared to his contemporaries 
at this time, I cannot do better than to 
quote what one of them has written.^^ 
His words are: "At this time the terms 
of court were held quarterly and usually 
lasted about two weeks. The terms were 
always seasons of great importance and 
much gaiety in the little town that had 
the honor of being the county seat. Dis- 
tinguished members of the bar from sur- 
rounding and even from distant counties, 
ex- judges and ex-members of Congress 
attended, and were personally, and many 
of them popularly, known to almost every 
adult, male and female, of the limited 
population. Thej^ came in by stages and 
on horseback. Among them, the one 
above all whose arrival was looked for- 

[45] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

ward to with the most pleasurable antici- 
pations, and whose possible absence — al- 
though he never was absent — was feared 
with the liveliest emotions of anxiety, was 
' Uncle Abe,' as we all lovingly called 
him. Sometimes he was a day or two 
late, and then, as the Bloomington stage 
came in at sundown, the bench and bar, 
jurors and citizens, would gather in 
crowds at the hotel where he always put 
up, to give him a welcome if he should 
happily arrive, and to experience the 
keenest disappointment if he should not. 
If he annved, as he alighted and stretched 
out both his long arms to shake hands 
with those nearest to him and with those 
who approached, his homely face, hand- 
some in its broad and sunny smile, his 
voice touching in its kindly and cheerful 
accents, every one in his presence felt 
lighter and joyous in heart. He brought 
happiness with him. He loved his fellow 
men with all the strength of his great 
nature." '' 

And this genial, loving brother-man 
was elected to the Presidency. 
[46] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

That Lincoln was one of the most 
dehghtful companions ^^ that could be im- 
agined and that he was a good fellow in 
the highest sense of that word was known 
to his friends in Indiana and Illinois. 
The dignity of office and the cares of 
state might be expected at least to mod- 
ify these characteristics. " Office changes 
manners." ^^ But Lincoln's disposition 
was too strong for that. As he had 
been, he remained. A very keen obsei*ver 
and a very intelligent man, General Sher- 
man, described him as he appeared to- 
wards the end of the war in these strik- 
ing and impressive words: ^^ 

" When at rest or listening, his legs 
and arms seemed to hang almost lifeless, 
and his face was careworn and haggard; 
but the moment he began to talk his face 
lightened up, his tall form, as it were, 
unfolded, and he was the very impersona* 
tion of good humor and fellowship" 

Lincoln's opportunities while President 
for joining in a mirthful crowd and hav- 
ing a good time were of course very lim- 
[47] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

ited. But whenever this could happen 
he took advantage of it and enjoyed him- 
self greatly, always contributing to the 
pleasure of those, whether young or old, 
and of whatever sort or condition, with 
whom he was. A picture of this, charm- 
ing and touching in its simplicity, is 
given by Mr. Blair, who says that:^* 

" During the War my grandfather, 
Francis P. Blair, Sr., lived at Silver 
Springs, north of Washington, seven 
miles from the White House. It was a 
magnificent place of four or five hun- 
dred acres, with an extensive lawn in 
the rear of the house. The grandchildren 
gathered there frequently. There were 
eight or ten of us, our ages ranging from 
eight to twelve years. Although I was 
but seven or eight years of age, Mr. Lin- 
coln's visits were of such importance to 
us boys as to leave a clear impression on 
my memory. He drove out to the place 
quite frequently. We boys, for hours 
at a time, played ' town ball ' on the 
vast lawn and Mr. Lincoln would join 

[48] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

ardently in the sport. I remember 
vividly how he ran with the children, 
how long were his strides, and how far 
his coat tails stuck out behind, and how 
we tried to hit him with the ball as he 
ran the bases/'' He entered into the 
spirit of the play as completely as any 
of us, and we invariably hailed his com- 
ing with dehght." 

Another occasion when he had a pleas- 
ant, companionable time with a number 
of men is described by General Viele, 
who says /"" " From that time until Mr. 
Lincoln's death I enjoyed the closest 
intimacy with him. On one occasion he 
invited me to accompany liim, the Secre- 
tary of War and the Secretary of the 
Treasury in a revenue cutter from 
Washington to Fortress Monroe. There 
was a small cabin in the boat divided by 
four partitions. During the period of 
eight or ten days we were together we 
never lost sight of each other. During 
the trip we were constantly engaged in 
conversation and discussion about war 
[49] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

matters, much of the time being occupied 
in listening to Mr. Lincoln's wonderful 
fund of reminiscence and anecdote. If 
I had been a stenographer it seems to me 
that I could have filled a large volume 
made up of these remarkable stories. Of 
course I could not remember all of them. 
I remember many of them. Some of 
them it would be hardly right to print." 

Although companionship with a num- 
ber of his fellow mortals was very rare 
during the years he was President yet 
Lincoln saw and met during that time 
more people than did any other man in 
the Country — most of whom he saw on 
one occasion only. This fact as well as 
the dignity and etiquette of office would 
tend to prevent even a strong disposition 
to like men from showing much liking. 
But Lincoln's disposition was so strong 
that throughout his Presidency he al- 
most invariably made meetings with 
friends or strangers the occasion for 
some genial manifestation of liking and 
good fellowship — often by telling a 

[50] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

laugh-provoking story. Countless illus- 
trations of this — to be differentiated from 
the occasions when he told a story to 
point a moral or an argument — could 
be given. One which capitally shows his 
simple geniality and good fellowship is 
the following: 

An employe in the Military Telegraph 
Office in the War Department says " 
that " Lincoln often visited the office and 
was always affable and courteous, some- 
times even familiar, in his intercourse 
with the attaches. . . . The last time I 
saw him was on the afternoon of April 
11th, three days prior to his assassination. 
He came to the office as usual that after- 
noon, and something reminded him of a 
story, and to illustrate the finale he gath- 
ered his coat-tails under his arms and, 
with about three long strides, crossed the 
room and passed out of the door with the 
last words of the story echoing from his 
lips." 

A few days passed, and then in the 
afternoon before his death some old 

[51] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

friends came in to see him and, for 
amusement's sake, he read aloud to them 
parts of a humorous book. When he had 
finished, he expressed a wish that he could 
spend the evening with them talking of 
old times, laughing over old reminis- 
cences and in genial companionship, but 
he said that he had to go to the theatre.*^* 

Thus we come to the end of Lincoln's 
life. I have shown by the testimony of 
many witnesses covering all his years that 
from the time he was a little boy he spent 
a great many hours in intimate associa- 
tion with men, w^hich he enjoyed in- 
stinctively, with all his heart, without a 
thought for the morrow.*'^ We cannot 
dwell too much on this trait and learn to 
read its striking significance — that Lin- 
coln was a true brother-man who liked 
men most heartily and catholically. 

But while enjoyment in associating 
with men is the earmark of a disposition 
to like men generally, and must conse- 
quently be found before such a disposi- 
tion can be attributed to a man, yet once 

[52] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

clearly found, as in Lincoln's case, our 
conception of his disposition can be 
greatly enhanced and deepened by con- 
sidering other manifestations of his lik- 
ing, for liking can be shown in many 
ways; and with a disposition to like men 
so strong as Lincoln's w^as there is a great 
choice of such other manifestations to 
consider. 

Of all the ways, however, in which a 
disposition to like men manifests itself, 
the most characteristic, apart from lik- 
ing to associate with men, is a general 
kindliness of thought and feeling and act 
and word shown in all meetings, whether 
casual or set, whether for one purpose or 
another, whether social or formal, gay or 
serious. It is particularly characteristic 
because it is emotional, is not caused by 
anytliing except liking and cannot be 
affected. It should also be noted that 
while general kindliness excludes in terms 
and in fact many qualities which indicate 
dislike and the non-possession of a dis- 
position to like men generally, to wit, 

[53] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

hardness of heart, lack of consideration 
for others, predatoriness, envy, malice and 
meanness of all kinds, it includes many 
manifestations of liking which are often 
taken by themselves and described under 
other names, as, for instance, pleasant- 
ness, kind-heartedness, beneficence, hu- 
manity and many more, all which terms 
are of constant use by biographers of 
Lincoln.^^ 

It was with Lincoln as we should ex- 
pect from one who liked his brother-men 
so well. Throughout his life he showed 
a general kindliness of speech and man- 
ner, of thought and feeling and action 
towards men, women "^ and children,^ ^ 
which was of great strength and beauty 
in his early as well as his later days. 
After his death, Mr. Herndon, his friend, 
partner for many years and biographer, 
travelled about in Indiana and Illinois 
interviewing people who had known Lin- 
coln as he grew up from boyhood into 
youth and manhood. ^^ He collected a 
great store of reminiscences and anec- 

[54] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

dotes. Many of these show acts of kind- 
ness on Lincoln's part very unusual in a 
boy or youth. They fully substantiate 
Mr. Whitney's statement '* that " one of 
Lincoln's youthful characteristics, and 
one which adhered to him through life, 
was his uniform kindness to any and all 
living things." And while very many acts 
of kindness are recorded in Mr. Hern- 
don's collection of anecdotes, the particu- 
larly noteworthy thing in these narratives 
is that Lincoln had impressed his friends 
and neighbors as being " kind," and that 
they did so remember him.*^^ To have 
gained such a memory he must have done 
far more kind things than are recorded, 
many as these are. He must have been 
generally and usually kindly. That this 
conclusion is correct is assured by the 
phrase one constantly comes across in read- 
ing these reminiscences of Lincoln's early 
days, — he is described as being " obhg- 
ing."^^ And a name for being "oblig- 
ing" in country parlance is gained and 
can only be gained by willingly doing 
[55] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

things for others that they want done 
(which is a high variety of kindhness) 
and by doing them habitually. That 
Lincoln thus acquired the name is hap- 
pily confirmed by the phrase which one 
of his neighbors used about him, — " He 
was always ready to do everything for 
everybody." " 

So Caleb Carman, who lived in New 
Salem and with whom Lincoln boarded 
when postmaster, found him.'^ He says: 
" Lincoln was liked by every person who 
knew him. While he boarded with me he 
made liimself useful in every way that he 
could. If the water bucket was empty he 
filled it ; if wood was needed he chopped it ; 
and was always cheerful and in good hu- 
mor. He started out one morning with the 
axe over his shoulder, and I asked him 
what he was going to do. His answer was : 
' I am going to try a project.' When he 
returned he had two hickory poles on his 
shoulders, and in a very short time two 
of my chairs had new bottoms." 

This account is thoroughly typical. It 
[56] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

may be supplemented by another as 
typical anecdote; which is, that when 
more guests came to the Tavern than 
could be accommodated Lincoln, who was 
regularly living there, cheerfully gave 
up his bed to oblige the tavern-keeper 
and went over to the store, where he slept 
on the hard counter/^ If this story stood 
alone it would amount to nothing, but as 
one of a hundred similar others it indi- 
cates a great deal respecting Lincoln's 
disposition and becomes profoundly sig- 
nificant. 

It was the same later on in Springfield. 
Mr. Littlefield, a clerk in his office there, 
says that " Lincoln always manifested 
interest in everybody with whom he asso- 
ciated. When you first met him and 
studied him he impressed you with being 
... a very kind man. He struck you 
as a man who would go out of his way to 
serve you. ... I never in all my hfe 
associated with a man w^ho seemed so 
ready to serve another." ^^ 

Yet, to be quite candid, he very occa- 
[57] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

sionally did do things which were un- 
kind. If he had not, he would not have 
been human, so one may be glad it was so. 
Thus when a boy he retahated for in- 
juries done him by The Chronicles of 
Reuben and other lampoons, and later on 
he would sometimes in political speeches 
indulge in caustic personalities and pretty 
brutal ridicule. In these cases it would 
seem that other qualities were stronger 
and had for the time being the upper 
hand over his disposition.^^ But as he 
grew older his disposition kept them 
down and became the great controlling 
and impelling force in his daily life so far 
as his relations with his fellow men were 
concerned. ^^ 

This was marked after he came back 
from Congress and travelled the Cir- 
cuit.^'' Here interwoven with all his 
humor and good fellowship ran this deep 
vein of kindliness. It was particularly 
shown in his relations with his brother 
lawyers. Against them he was constantly 
trying cases and was very successful.^^ 

[58] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

Almost invariably the juiy lawyer is an 
aggressive person, full of arrogance in 
success, in defeat rancorous. But Lin- 
coln's attitude toward his brother lawj^ers 
w^as the very opposite of this. It is most 
concisely and completely described in the 
words of one of those who practiced with 
him, which are — " He arrogated to him- 
self no superiority over anyone — not even 
the most obscure member of the Bar. He 
treated everyone with the simplicity and 
kindness that friendly neighbors mani- 
fest in their relations with one another." ^* 

Simplicity, kindness and friendliness, 
— these are qualities that the brother-man 
ever shows, and can only spring from a 
deep feeling of liking for his brother- 
men. 

A liking of this sort should win a great 
response. It is true Lincoln commanded 
great popularity but there went out to 
him also something deeper. It was most 
simply and adequately described by 
Judge Davis, than whom nobody was 
better qualified to speak, when he said, ^^ 
[59] 



ABHAHAM LINCOLN 

" Lincoln was loved by his brethren of the 
bar." 

And from these men who loved him, 
Lincoln went to Washington as Presi- 
dent. The dignity of office, the sense 
of superiority, the engrossing cares of 
statesmanship, not to speak of base quali- 
ties, like pride, vanity and conceit, bred 
by station and cultivated by flattery, gen- 
erally prevent much liking and kindliness 
being shown by men in high position. 
Moreover, Lincoln had special difficul- 
ties of his own. He was without any 
experience as an administrator or ruler. 
Then the country almost immediately 
plunged into a great and civil war. 
Enormous difficulties are imposed by a 
great war upon the government of any 
country waging it, but when the war is 
a civil one and where the form of gov- 
ernment is a modern republic the diffi- 
culties become almost insuperable. There 
can be no human burden greater than 
that of the President of such a govern- 
ment under such conditions.®^ 
[60] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

In spite of all these checks Lincoln's 
disposition knew no change or abatement. 
As I have said, he showed throughout the 
War, whenever he had the opportunity, 
the same love of association and good fel- 
lowship he had " back in Indiana and Illi- 
nois." So too he showed the same kindli- 
ness by which he had won the love of 
his brother lawyers." " His real kind- 
ness of heart is always coming out in the 
most striking way and it was not impaired 
by the Civil War," wrote Mr. Goldwin 
Smith in an essay which at least shows no 
prepossessions in Lincoln's favor.^^ In 
point of fact not only was it not impaired 
but the conditions of the War proved it 
to be extraordinarily great, though it had 
been great in Indiana and Illinois. The 
field there was relatively small, under 
the conditions of the War it was immense. 
And Lincoln's disposition was large and 
strong enough to cover the field. 

Men and women, politicians, office- 
seekers, friends and enemies came to see 
him to ask favors, to criticize wisely or 
[61] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

foolishly, sometimes to find fault; many 
were importunate, many were trying, 
few were pleasant. Yet to all who came, 
and they poured in on him every day,^^ 
all day long and even at night, without 
ceasing, for over four long years, he 
showed almost unvarying kindliness in 
face, in manner, in word and act.^*^ 

This habitual demeanor is excellently 
described by William H. Crook, who, as 
bodyguard of Lincoln in 1864, had ample 
opportunities for observation. He states ^^ 
that " Men came in a never-ending 
stream to the White House. The greater 
part of the callers were there for one 
occasion only. A general kindliness 
marked the President's manner toward all 
who came to see him. Once I preferred 
a request on my own behalf to him. 
He listened to my story as patiently as 
if he had not heard hundreds like it. 
I like to remember how kindly he looked 
at me. As I have said, his constant 
attitude was one of kindly considera- 
tion.'' 

[62] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

This is confirmed in a very striking 
way. There is a book ^^ which contains 
forty-five narratives by various people 
of their meetings with Lincoln. In fifteen 
of them the word " kind " or " kindness " 
or " kindly " is used in speaking of Lin- 
coln's demeanor. In twenty-two more of 
them equivalent or synonymous phrases 
are used. There remain only eight and 
all these relate to some matter in which 
mention of his kindliness would not be 
pertinent. This is a most remarkable 
agreement among witnesses. I do not 
know where to find its parallel, especially 
as these witnesses are of all sorts, 
classes, professions and characters. 
They include George William Curtis, 
the editor; General Howard; Secretary 
Seward and his son; Frank B. Carpen- 
ter, the portrait painter; Grace Green- 
wood, a bright and intelligent woman; 
public officials, Congressmen, privates 
and officers in the Army. JMoreover to 
this list there could be added the names 
of many other people, equally var^ang 
[63] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

in sort and condition, who have in other 
publications stated that Lincoln was 
"kind" or "kindly." Indeed practi- 
cally every man who saw him and made 
any record of his impressions has said 
this. To take one out of a great many, 
Charles A. Dana, a singularly shrewd 
and accurate observer, says ^^ — " There 
was such a charm and beauty about his 
expression, such good humor and 
friendly spirit looking from his eyes,^* 
that when you were with him you 
thought of nothing except ' What a 
kindly character this man has.' He was 
kind at heart to all the world. ... I 
never heard him say a harsh word to 
anybody, I never heard him speak a 
word of complaint even. ... I never 
heard him say an unkind thing about 
anybody. Now and then he would laugh 
at something jocose or satirical that 
somebody had done or said but it was 
always pleasant humor. He would 
never allow the wants of any man or 
woman to go unattended to if he could 
[64] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

help it." ^^ There is the ever recurring 
mention of Lincoln's being " obliging " 
in the country sense. And then Dana 
tells a story of his thoughtful kindliness 
and adds, " That was the man — kindly 
and affectionate to everybody." 

It is very unusual to find this sort of 
personal kindliness showing in business or 
official relations. If any reader will stop 
to consider how many men he has seen 
on business who gave him the impression 
of being kindly, he will begin to realize 
this. It becomes extraordinary and un- 
matched when one considers that Lincoln 
was engrossed in great affairs, working 
to the limit of his strength, full of trou- 
bles,^" often very anxious, often greatly 
perplexed and cruelly harassed, — almost 
all the time very tired and part of the 
time, at least, run down physically and 
near the breaking point.^^ 

And yet you may turn anywhere in 

his life at Washington and you come 

across this deep kindliness of manner 

and act. Thus, turn to his relations 

[65] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

With committees and deputations who 
came to see him and you meet with the 
accounts of an audience which he gave 
to a delegation of INIissourians opposed 
to Lincoln's policy in regard to the fac- 
tional politics of that State. This mat- 
ter, as is well known, gave him a great 
deal of serious trouble, and the way 
intelligent Missourians behaved was 
enough to irritate a saint. On this occa- 
sion the Chairman read aloud an ad- 
dress. Its point of view was intensely 
partisan and consequently distressing to 
Lincoln. Its tone was fault-finding, 
peremptory, demanding and improper. 
Nevertheless his reply, which was long, 
was entirely kind. Ex-Governor John- 
son, one of the Committee, writing about 
it, said: " He spoke with great kindness. 
... I had met Mr. Lincoln twice before 
then. This time he appeared different 
from what he had on the two former occa- 
sions. There was a perplexed look on 
his face. When he said he was bothered 
about this thing, he showed it. He 
[66] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

spoke kindly, yet now and then there 
was a httle rasping tone in his voice 
which seemed to say : ' You men ought 
to fix this thing up without tormenting 
me.' But he never lost his temper." ^^ 

Turn to his relations with his Cabinet, 
and to that excited meeting after Lin- 
coln had restored McClellan to com- 
mand. Most if not all of his Cabinet 
objected. In voicing his disapproval 
Stanton was as disagreeable and bitter 
as possible. In spite of this, Secretary 
Welles who was present says that the 
President's " language and manner were 
kind and affectionate, especially toward 
two of the members who were greatly dis- 
turbed." '' 

Turn to his relations with his Gen- 
erals. The behavior of one towards Lin- 
coln was inexcusable. It would have 
justified anger, contempt, resentment 
and personal antipathy. Yet none of 
these natural feelings were shown by 
Lincoln. His letters and telegrams to 
General JNIcClellan are infused with real 
[67] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

emotional kindliness and Colonel Mc- 
Clure, who saw Lincoln many times dur- 
ing the Campaign of 1864 when Mc- 
Clellan was his competitor for the Presi- 
dency and there was no possible restraint 
on Lincoln's talking as would come nat- 
urally to him, " never heard him speak 
of McClellan in any other than terms of 
the highest personal respect and kind- 
ness." ''' 

Turning from his relations with his 
officers to those with his soldiers we find 
Secretary Stanton expressing himself 
thus, " It seems to me that the President 
would rather have a fuss with anybody 
than miss a chance to do a kindness to a 
private soldier." "^ 

Here we have again recurring the same 
disposition to " oblige " that he showed 
in New Salem as a boy, in Springfield 
in middle life, and that Mr. Dana men- 
tions twice ^^^ as an essential character- 
istic of Lincoln, the President. 

Then consider his attitude towards the 
enemies of the Union he loved so well, 
[68] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

and one finds that all his policy, his 
speeches and his acts show great kindli- 
ness toward them. Isaac Arnold — who 
from being in Congress during the 
War is peculiarly well qualified to 
express an opinion — states in his Life 
of Lincoln,"^ that, " in the midst of 
the fierce passions and bitter animosities 
growing out of the war, many thought 
him too mild and forebearing; but his 
conviction was clear, and his determina- 
tion firm, that when there was a sincere 
repentance, then there should be pardon 
and amnesty. In the face of those who 
sternly demanded punishment and con- 
fiscation, and the death of traitors and 
conspirators, he declared : ' When a man 
is sincerely penitent for his misdeeds, 
and gives satisfactory evidence of it, he 
can safely be pardoned.' " ^*^* 

" When the fiery and eloquent Henry 
Winter Davis, the stern, blunt, down- 
right Ben Wade, and the unforgiving 
Thaddeus Stevens, demanded retalia- 
tion, confiscation, death, desolation and 
[69] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

bloody execution, the voice of Lincoln 
rose clear above the storm, firm, gentle, 
but powerful, like the voice of God. 
* With malice towards none, with charity 
for all, with firmness in the right as God 
gives us to see the right,' he hushed the 
raging storm of passion, and brought 
back peace and reconciliation." 

*' To this day, the South does not ap- 
preciate nor does the world know, how 
much the Confederates are indebted to 
the humane, kind, almost divine spirit 
of Lincoln." 

And with this passage compare the strik- 
ing words of Alexander H. Stephens, the 
noblest man with the deepest perceptions 
of all the leaders of the South: " I knew 
Mr. Lincoln well. . . . Every fountain 
of his heart was ever over-flowing with 
the milk of human kindness. . . . (His 
death) was the climax of our troubles, 
and the spring from which came un- 
numbered woes." "^ 

And by way of further illustrating his 
disposition to the enemies of his country 
[70] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

General Grant can be quoted.^^'' He 
said that Lincoln " always showed a 
generous and kindly spirit toward the 
Southern people and I never heard him 
abuse an enemy." And Senator Mor- 
gan of Alabama, who fought on the side 
of the South, said;^"^ "His most con- 
spicuous virtue as Commander in Chief 
of the Army and Navy was the absence 
of a spirit of resentment or oppression 
toward the enemy." ^^^ And Governor 
Boutwell of Massachusetts, a man of 
character and intelligence, has stated ^^^ 
in a carefully considered study of Lin- 
coln that " President Lincoln excelled all 
his contemporaries as he also excelled 
most of the eminent rulers of every time 
in the humanity of his nature." 

This kindliness towards those who were 
participating in a rebellion against the 
government of which Lincoln was the 
head showed itself in a curious and in- 
tensely characteristic way. He did not 
hesitate to call things by their right 
names and to say: " Ours is a case of 
[71] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

rebellion — so-called by the resolutions be- 
fore me — in fact, a clear, flagrant and 
gigantic case of rebellion." ^^'^ But when 
he spoke of the men engaged in maintain- 
ing this rebellion he refrained from speak- 
ing of them as " rebels " and habitually 
called them " confederates " or " those 
Southern gentlemen." "^ They were 
men and brothers, whatever the nature of 
the enterprise they were engaged in. 

Lincoln's kindness to the enemies of 
his country is all the more striking when 
one considers that the temper of the 
times and of many good men was very 
different. For instance, so wise, friendly, 
and humane a man as Governor 
Andrew of Massachusetts issued a 
" Proclamation by the Governor and 
Commander in Chief," addressed to 
*' Men of Massachusetts ! ! ", which be- 
gins, " The wily and barbarous horde of 
traitors . . . again menace the National 
Capitol." "^ 

Lastly, turn and consider Lincoln's atti- 
tude toward those who, making a grievous 
[72] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

mistake, hated him personally. He him- 
self described his feeling toward them in 
a talk he had with James S. Rollins, 
a Congressman from INIissouri during 
the War. Mr. Rollins spoke to Lincoln 
early in 1865 of a plot to assassinate 
him. " Pausing a moment, the smile 
which had just lighted up his face de- 
parted and a certain melancholy expres- 
sion took its place, and he said seriously, 
and in language which he evidently felt, 
* Rollins, I don't see what on God's 
earth any man w^ould wish to kill me for, 
for there is not a human being living 
to whom I would not extend a favor, 
and make them happy if it was in my 
power to do so.' " ^" 

These words must be sharply differ- 
entiated from the many stories of rulers, 
reformers and teachers who before being 
assassinated have expressed surprise that 
anybody should wish to kill them because, 
forsooth, whatever causes of hatred they 
had given, they had done nothing but 
" for the public good," — a matter about 

[73] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN" 

which they were often mistaken and 
never could be certain. Lincoln's atti- 
tude had no assumption of being a mis- 
understood benefactor nor any self- 
complacency. It was simply that there 
was nobody, not even a prospective 
murderer, to whom he was not ready 
to do a good turn. It was but an- 
other manifestation of his ever willing 
and constant disposition to be " obliging " 
to everybody. 

This general kindliness to strangers, 
to his acquaintances, to his friends, to his 
critics, however harsh and ill-mannered, to 
those who were the enemies of the Union 
he had taken oath to preserve and to those 
who were personally hostile to him, was 
the last and greatest expression of his 
disposition. If we consider his position, 
his masterfulness, his firmness, liis self- 
reliance, if we then consider his occupa- 
pations, his trials, his difficulties, the con- 
stant and enormous wear and tear and 
nervous strain of the time, it becomes 
something which the whole world has never 
[74] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

seen under approachingiy similar circum- 
stances in another man. 

To appreciate its full wonder and 
beauty, we must catch a peculiar note 
sometimes struck by him, the note of a 
particular tenderness and affection in 
his kindliness. This is best described in 
the words of those who felt it. Thus 
General Howard, speaking of an inter- 
view with the President in his tent after 
a review, says,"* " He was veiy kind 
and fatherly." And Mr. George William 
Curtis, who, like General Howard, was 
peculiarly sensitive to sentimental ex- 
pressions and could correctly describe 
them, wrote of an interview with Lin- 
coln as follows:"^ "When we rose to 
leave Mr. Lincoln accompanied us to the 
door of the room and as he shook my 
hand and said good-bye, he said with a 
paternal kindness and evident profound 
conviction: ' We shall beat them, my 
son — ^we shall beat them.'" And when 
that proud and vainglorious officer. 
General Hooker, received and read the 
[75] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

famous letter Lincoln wrote to him ap- 
pointing him to the command of the 
Army of the Potomac he turned to Noah 
Brooks and said: "*^ "That is just such 
a letter as a father might write to a son. 
It is a beautiful letter, and although I 
think he was harder on me than I de- 
served, I will say that I love the man 
who wrote it." ^'^ And lastly there are 
two little statements which strikingly 
illustrate this fatherly note. Each of the 
narrators was a telegrapher in the War 
Department during the War. These 
men and some others occupied a room to 
which Lincoln often came for news. 

One of them has written in his remi- 
niscences ^^* that " in our cipher code 
were several words, each translated * Jef- 
ferson Davis.' Other words stood for 
' Robert E. Lee' and so on. Whenever 
Mr. Lincoln, came to these words (in 
reading aloud the messages we received 
as was his custom), he would shorten 
or transform them into sometliing else, 
for instance, * Jeffy D.,' * Bobby Lee,' 
[76] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

etc., SO that there seemed to go out from 
him at such times, and indeed on many 
other occasions, a gentle, kindly influ- 
ence. He seemed to be thinking of the 
leaders of the Rebellion as wayward 
sons rather than as traitorous brethren." 

The other man wrote in his diary the 
morning after Lincoln's assassination, 
" Our office feels most keenly the afflic- 
tion which has thus been brought to the 
whole country in the death of Abraham 
Lincoln ; for we had learned to look upon 
him in his daily visits there almost as a 
companion, while we venerated Mm as a 
father for his goodness/' ^'^ 

This note of fatherly affection that Lin- 
coln displayed gives the deepest measure 
of his kindliness and shows how sincere, 
uncalculated, spontaneous and emotional 
it was.'"' 

The poet, with the poet's vision, per- 
ceived this paternally affectionate qual- 
ity in Lincoln's demeanor and voiced it 
in the well known chorus — " We are 
coming. Father Abraham, three hundred 
[77] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

thousand strong." And with that in- 
stinctive response which men give to a 
truth when properly uttered by seer or 
poet or prophet, this song was taken up 
and sung by countless voices through the 
cities of the North and by the Armies of 
the Republic in the field; men and boys, 
officers and privates found something that 
rang true to their minds and hearts in 
calling the President of their republican 
country, however much he might be criti- 
cized and condemned, — " Father Abra- 
ham." ''' 

It is a great pity, however, to exagger- 
ate this feeling and, as some writers have, 
sentimentalize about it.^^^ The easiest 
way to avoid this is to remember that 
Lincoln's Idndliness, of which this pater- 
nal note was an expression, sprang from 
his disposition, which manifested itself in 
various ways. The man or men to or of 
whom he was speaking and the circum- 
stances of the time and place governed 
the manifestation. Under some condi- 
tions he was jovial and sociable, under 
[78] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

others friendly, kindly and obliging, un- 
der still others, and more rarely, affec- 
tionate and fatherly. But the liking was 
always there. 

It would be easy to go on and show 
manifestations of this general liking 
other than those which have been illus- 
trated in this essay. For instance, there 
is one so peculiarly characteristic of a 
disposition to like men generally that a 
few words about it will materially add 
to our conception of Lincoln's disposi- 
tion. Without going too deeply into the 
psychology of liking we all know that 
when we like a man we are rather blind 
to his faults, and if they are brought to 
our attention we slur them over and 
say all the good we know, even if it be 
irrelevant, of the person in question. 
This trait is universal. Now a dis- 
position to like men presupposes lik- 
ing being shown to many in exactly the 
same ways that the average individual 
shows it to any one of the few he likes. 
Hence if we can find this mode of ex- 
[79] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

pressing liking shown to a number of 
men who are faulty, and especially to a 
segregated class of evil-doers, there is a 
most perfect characteristic of the dis- 
position. And by great good fortune 
this exists in Lincoln's case. 

In 1841 he made a speech in Spring- 
field before the Washington Temperance 
Society ."^^^ In the course of this speech 
he said in reference to drunkards, " They 
are not demons, nor even the worst of 
men, generally they are kind, generous 
and charitable, even beyond the example 
of their more staid and sober neighbors." 
..." Indeed I believe if we take habit- 
ual drunkards as a class, their heads and 
their hearts will bear an advantageous 
comparison with those of any other class.' ' 

These words coming from one who was 
a total abstainer on principle, though liv- 
ing in a community where drinking was 
extraordinarily prevalent,^"* are very 
striking. They are not the product of 
ignorance or of folly but are simply the 
natural expression of Lincoln's disposi- 

[80] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

tion. His words are not of hatred nor 
indifference nor condemnation; hence 
they must be words of hking, and are 
especially typical words of liking in 
that they pass over the sin and dwell 
on the good qualities of the sinner. I 
do not mean that Lincoln liked drunkards 
as such, but he liked men and the 
catholicity of his liking was so great that 
the mere fact that drunkenness was an 
evil thing did not cause him to banish 
drunkards from the category of men. 
" They are not demons," he says. On the 
contrary they are men; and being men 
he liked them and says good of them. 
It is exactly what an ordinary man 
might say of one particular drunkard 
known to him extended by the force 
of Lincoln's disposition to include many 
drunkards, some known to him, others 
unknown. If only this one speech ex- 
isted, it would need little more to show 
how broad and deep Lincoln's disposi- 
tion to like men was. 

It seems to me to be unnecessary to 

[81] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

consider still other manifestations of his 
liking, especially as it would compel 
this essay to be extended into a complete 
study of his disposition and of its rela- 
tions with his other great qualities, while 
its only purpose is to prove beyond all 
peradventure that he had a disposition of 
a particular kind. 

There is real value in doing this. 
Apart from ascertaining the Truth, 
which is always an end of itself, it 
makes the character of Lincoln more 
intelligible. 

There are many things in Lincoln's 
life and in his character, disposition and 
abilities which encourage extravagance 
of statement and especially the opinion 
of his being a mysterious and inexpli- 
cable personage.^^^ Not until we have 
studied his life in relation to the lives 
of other Americans similarly situated,^^^ 
and not until we thoroughly understand 
the main traits and qualities that he pos- 
sessed could such statements, if at all, be 
justified. And then they would, if proved 

[82] 



A LOVER OF MANKIND 

to be true, be a misfortune to his race. 
For there is nothing in an abnormal 
character of encouragement or of Hght on 
the path which for countless more gen- 
erations men must excitedly, yet blindly, 
pursue. Herein lies the value of having 
it made clear that much in Lincoln's life 
was determined by a disposition which so 
far as its kind goes is well known and 
familiar. All its exceptionality lay in its 
greatness and force. 

In these respects it is exceeded by 
that of no recorded man. Beyond say- 
ing this it is extremely difficult to give a 
measure in words to Lincoln's disposition. 
There is no scale as with the intelligence. 
With that the term genius designates the 
highest manifestations. We can, how- 
ever, say that as the most supreme genius 
is to the average man's intelligence, so 
was Lincoln's disposition to the average 
man's. Joshua Speed, who knew Lincoln 
well, corroborates this by saying that 
Lincoln was " a common man expanded 
into giant proportions." '" And there i« 

[83] 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

no disparagement in that idea, for of the 
man, who has been worshipped by more 
men and women than any other, the 
Japanese reverently say, " Even the 
Great Buddha was a common man." 



FINIS 



[84] 



NOTES 

The Portrait of Lincoln at the beginning of this 
essay is a reproduction of a photograph made by 
Gardner of Washington and " published by Philp 
and Solomons " of Washington. I believe it has 
never before been reproduced, and it is noteworthy 
as being the only portrait of Lincoln that I know 
that represents him as smiling. 



The abbreviations of the Titles of the Books 
referred to in the following Notes are as follows: 

*• T."— The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Ida M. 
Tarbell, in two volumes, published by The 
Doubleday & McClure Company, 1900. 

" T.'s Early Life."— The Early Life of Abraham 
Lincoln by Ida M. Tarbell, assisted by J. 
McCan Davis, published by S. S. McClure 
Limited, 1896. 

*' R. R." — Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by 
Distinguished Men of his Time — Collected 
and Edited by Allen Thorndike Rice, pub- 
lished by The North American Review, 
1889. 

** B." — Abraham Lincoln by Henry Bryan Binns, 
in the Temple Biographies Series, pub- 
lished by J. M. Dent & Co., 1907. 

" Hill " — Lincoln The Lawyer by Frederick Trev- 

[85] 



NOTES 

or Hill^ published by The Century Com- 
pany, 1906. 

" R." — Lincoln — Master of Men, A Study in Char- 
acter by Alonzo Rothschild, published by 
Houghton, Mifflin and Company, I906. 

" O." — Abraham Lincoln by Ellis Paxson Ober- 
holtzer, in American Crisis Biographies 
Series, published by George W. Jacobs & 
Company, 1904. 

" A. L. T." — Abraham Lincoln — Tributes from 
His Associates — Reminiscences of Soldiers, 
Statesmen and Citizens, published by 
Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1895. 

"L. M. A."— The Lincoln Memorial— Collected 
and Edited by Osborn H. Oldroyd, pub- 
lished by Lincoln Publishing Company of 
Springfield, Illinois, 1890. 

"A." — The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Isaac W. 
Arnold, published by A. C. McClurg & 
Company, 1893. 

** N. & H." — Abraham Lincoln — A History by 
John G. Nicolay and John Hay, published 
by The Century Company, 1890. 

"L."— The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Ward 
H. Lamon, published by James R. Osgood 
and Company, 1872. 

" H." — Herndon's Lincoln by William H. Hern- 
don and Jesse William Weik, published by 
Belford-Clarke Co., 1890. 

*' W."— Lincoln The Citizen by Henry C. Whit- 
ney, published by The Current Literature 
Publishing Company, 1907. 

" L. & H." — Lincoln and Herndon by J. F. New- 
ton, published by The Torch Press, I9IO. 

[86] 



NOTES 

^ James Russell Lowell's Essay on " Chaucer " 
in Collected Works, Riverside Edition, Vol. Ill, 
p. 365. 

2 Lockhart's Life of Scott, Vol. IV, Chap. XL 

3 Ibid., Vol. V, Chap. XII. 

* Said by Miss Baillie to Charles Eliot Norton. 

^ Lockhart's Life of Scott, Vol. V, Chap. III. 

« Ibid., Vol. II, Chap. I. 

^ Bagehot's Essay on " Shakespeare — the Man " 
in " Literary Studies " ; also in Vol. I of the 
Travellers Insurance Company's edition of the 
Works of Walter Bagehot, pages 268, 269- 

^ Stanley Lane-Poole's Life of Saladin, in 
** Heroes of Nations " Series, Chap. XXII, on 
pages 368 et seq., also Chap. XXIII. 

» Ibid., on pages 369 and 370. 

^° Arthur Hugh Clough, Poems, v. " Jacob.'* 

^^L. M. A. 302. 

^2 W. 170; to same effect G. W. Julian in R. R. 
59 and 60. 

13 L. 42, 43, 44; L. & H. 316. 

" L. 55. 

^^L. 54, 83; R. R. 219, 463. 

" I T. 25 ; T.'s Early Life, 90. 

" L. 53, 54. 

i« L. 56, 57; I T. 22; T.'s Early Life, 64. 

^«L. 57-61, 67. 

2« L. 67. 

21 L. 80. 

22 I T. 52-53; T.'s Early Life, 105. 

23 1 N. & H. 78; I T. 6l ; T.'s Early Life, 
118. 

2*L. 36;H. 32. 
" I T. 132. 

[8T] 



NOTES 

26 L. M. A. 556; I T. 63, 106, 107; T/s Early 
Life, 107 and Chap. IX. 

"I T. 106, 107; T.'s Early Life, Chap. IX et 
passim. 

28 1 T. 76; T.'s Early Life, 137, 138. 

2» I T. Chap. VI. 

30 1 T. 77; T.'s Early Life, 141. 

3^ T.'s Early Life, 158. 

32 I T. 108; cf. 89; T.'s Early Life, Chap. XIIL 

3^1 T. 148; cf. 62; H. 187, 188. 

3*H. 188. 

3^H. 189, 190. 

2«I T. 170. 

"I T. 171; L. 144. 

3« R. R. 13; L. M. A. 460; to same effect S. S. 
(Sunset) Cox, in L. M. A. 464; I T. 145; B. 337. 

39 1 T. 210 and 209; to same effect Ben Perley 
Poore in R. R. 222. 

^«A. 77, 78; L. & H. 29. 

^iR. R. 217, 218; cf. I T. 211. 

*2 Quoted from I T. 208 and 210. 

*3A. L. T. 218. 

**I T. 171. 

*5L. 470; H. 589. 

*« A. L. T. 202. 

*^H. 318. 

*« H. 609; to same effect W. 170. 

*9 1 N. & H. 303; H. 183; I T. 245. 

««W. 167. 

^^W. 190, and see 189. 

«2H. 310 et seq. 

«3L. M. A. 213. 

^* " Gladly would he learne and gladly teache/* 
see H. 317; L. 34, 70; L. M. A. 520. 

[88] 



NOTES 

^^ On Lincoln's playing ball^ see text^ pages 
48 and 49; also L. 451; and I T. 357. 

^«I T. 243, 244; and see Hill, 172, 173, and 
Chap. XVI; also R. R. 15. 

" Hill, 167; and see Chap. XVI. 

^«Hill, 168; and see Chap. XVI. 

In considering Lincoln's love of club life, 
and remembering that the village store has many 
of the characteristics of a club, a man who did not 
like meeting with his fellowmen and holding con- 
verse with them could hardly have lived the life 
Lincoln did, in which store life played so great 
a part; for not only did he frequent Jones' store 
at Gentryville, but later on, when he settled at New 
Salem, he became a clerk in Offutt's store and 
subsequently was a storekeeper himself. Still 
later he lived with a storekeeper over his store 
in Springfield, and was one of a coterie of young 
men who made the store their headquarters and 
club. And in the following years at Springfield 
and in the country he often joined a crowd at 
" the store " to tell stories or discuss politics. 
And also consider his being postmaster at New 
Salem for a time. The village post office partakes 
in a measure of being a club, and the postmaster 
has " endless opportunities for sociability, discus- 
sion and gossip;" see B. 44. 

^^ L. E. Chittenden's " Personal Reminiscences," 
365. 

^^ See note 49 ; cf . Isaac N. Arnold's statement 
that Lincoln " brought light with him," quoted in 
N. & H. 308. 

^^See note 38. 

«2 II Don Quixote, (Duffield's Translation), 486. 

[89] 



NOTES 

" For four years he wielded a power and a per- 
sonal authority greater than that exercised by any 
monarch on earth," says a writer in the London 
Spectator of April 25, 1891. 

«3 L. M. A. 367; of. R. R. 230, and 241, 242. 

«* II T. 88. 

^^ See note 55. 

^^ A. L. T. 118; for another instance see R. R. 
418, 419. 

67 A. L. T. 159, 165. 

«« II T. 235, 236. 

^® B. 337; and cf. references cited in note 
38. 

'«See page 17. 

7^ I T. 107; B. 327, 328; L. 41, 144; R. R. 360, 
507; H. 116. 

■7^ Ward Hill Lamon's " Recollections of Abra- 
ham Lincoln," Chap. X; cf. I T. 235, 236; H. 
487. 

^3 I T. 40. 

^*W. 41; cf. L. 35,40. 

"^^L. 41; I T. 44. 

^«I T. 106. 

"L. 38, 41; cf. H. 124. 

'8L. M. A. 518. 

"I T. 106; cf. H. 124, 125. 

«<^A. L. T. 204; cf. I T. 246. 

®^ On this whole paragraph, see L. 63 ; W. 43, 
47, 145, and 183; A, 41 6; Pearson's Life of Gov- 
ernor Andrew, I, 307; and B. 358. 

«2W. 196; R. R. 17. 

^^ Hill, passim, and especially Chaps. XI and 
XVIII. 

«*I T. 247; cf. R. R. 14, 77. 

[90] 



NOTES 

«5 N. & H. 803; cf. I T. 247; and L. E. Chitten- 
den's " Personal Reminiscences/' 366. 

«« Albert Bushnell Hart's Life of Salmon P. 
Chase in American Statesmen, 308; O. 239, 24-2, 
320, 350 and 364^; "the intolerable weight of re- 
sponsibility which the war threw upon the shoul- 
ders of the President," says a writer in the London 
Spectator of April 25, 1891. 

" W. 196; R. R. 55, 6l, 69- 

^^ " The Early Years of Abraham Lincoln " in 
" Lectures and Essays." Cf. R. R. 286. 

^^ Isaac Arnold in his Life of Lincoln says 
(453), " Here (i.e. in his room in the White 
House) day after day, often from early morning 
to late at night, Lincoln sat, listened, talked and 
decided. He was patient, just, considerate and 
hopeful. The people came to him as to a father. 
He saw everyone, and many wasted his precious 
time." 

^°R. R. 236, 338; Oberholtzer in his Life of 
Abraham Lincoln on page 324 speaks of Lincoln's 
"fatherly way to visitors;" cf. R. R. 195, 507; 
sometimes he would address a man as " my son," 
A. L. T. 2 ; II T. 1 88 ; and a woman as " my child," 
R. R. 360. Sir W. H. Russell noted in describing 
Lincoln's face " the combination of kindliness and 
bonhomie in it," see " My Diary North and South " 
under date of March, I860. Mr. J. R. Gilmore in 
his " Personal Recollections of Abraham Lincoln 
and the Civil War " speaks of Lincoln's eye being 
" the deepest, saddest and yet kindliest eye I have 
ever seen." 

^^ Harper's Magazine, June, 1900; cf. A. 453. 

®- " Abraham Lincoln — Tributes from his Asso- 

[91] 



NOTES 

ciates — Reminiscences of Soldiers^ Statesmen, and 
Citizens/' published by T. Y. Crowell & Co., 1895. 

»3 In " Recollections of the Civil War/' 173, 184, 
and cf. 174. 

®* To the same in effect Sir W. H. Russell noted 
the combination of kindliness and bonhomie in Lin- 
coln's face, see " My Diary North and South " 
under date of March, I860. 

^^Cf. R. R. 41, 100; cf. B. 327, 328. 

^« B. 327, 347. 

^^ Gorham's Life of Stanton, I, 346; cf. Walt 
Whitman's "Wound Dresser" 90; B. 289, 299, 
328, 336. 

^^11 T. 176; for another illustration, see R. R. 
53, 54; cf. also Lincoln's "cheerful and cordial" 
manner to the representatives of the Confederacy 
at the Hampton Roads Conference, as observed by 
Alexander H. Stephens, see The War between the 
States, II, 599 et seq., 6l3, 614, 6l8. 

®^ Welles quoting from his own Diary in his 
" Lincoln and Seward/' 194-196; cf. R. 280. 

^^^ In Lincoln and Men of War Times, 187; cf. 
O. 234; R. 392. 

^^^ R. 280, and in North American Review clxiii, 
672-675. 

1^2 See note 93. 

"3 A. 416, 417. 

^^^ Cf., " When the wicked man turneth away 
from wickedness he hath committed and doeth 
that which is lawful and right, he shall save his 
soul alive." 

^«^ Quoted in B. 344. 

"« Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, II, 423. 

^«^A. L. T. 130. 

[92] 



NOTES 

i<>8Cf. B. 318. 

i«»A. L. T. 91. 

"« Quoted in II T. 185. 

i"II T. 155, 161; in the Second Inaugural 
Address they are called " insurgents." Cf. Alex- 
ander H. Stephens' " The War Between the 
States," II, 599 et seq., 613, 614, and 618. 

^^^ Pearson's Life of Governor Andrew, II, 17. 

The strain of the war produced great irritability 
in many men. The most conspicuous offenders 
were E. M. Stanton and Horace Greeley. Yet 
although a victim at times of both these men's 
intense disagreeableness Lincoln was invariably 
kindly to both. As regards Stanton, see R. Chap. 
VI, entitled, " The Curbing of Stanton." As re- 
gards Greeley, see Lincoln's famous letter to him 
in answer to his most offensive one, in " Abraham 
Lincoln — Complete Works," published by The 
Century Co., Vol. Two, 227. In spite of the 
petulant, unjust, unkind and insulting letter of 
Greeley, this letter is very kind in tone. Unless 
Lincoln had a real liking for Greeley it is almost 
inconceivable that he could have written as he did. 
Dislike and resentment would have shown them- 
selves. And, as a very intelligent man says, " Any 
man who could like Horace Greeley needs no 
other justification as a brother-man." 

"^L. M. A. 501, 502. 

"* A. L. T. 39. 

^^^A. L. T. 2. 

^^® Noah Brooks* " Washington in Lincoln's 
Time," 52, 53. 

"^ See note 120. 

^i« A. L. T, 229. 

[93] 



NOTES 

"»A. L. T. 166; cf. R. R. 195. 

120 YoT further comments on and illustrations 
of this " fatherly note/' see II T. 188; R. 392; O. 
234, 235, 244, 251; A. 453; Robert G. Inger- 
soll's "Lincoln," passim; Charles G. Leland's 
Life of Abraham Lincoln, 244; and references 
cited in note 90 above. 

^21 Cf. R. R. 112, 113. 

^^^ Cf. a mushy poem entitled " Father Abra- 
ham " in "Collier's Weekly," for February 15, 
1908. 

^^^ " Abraham Lincoln — Complete Works," pub- 
lished by The Century Co., Vol. One, 57, 59, 62. 

^^* Ibid., 59, where Lincoln says, " When all 
such of us as have now reached the years of 
maturity first opened our eyes upon the stage of 
existence, we found intoxicating liquor recognized 
by everybody, used by everybody, repudiated by 
nobody. . . . Universal public opinion not only 
tolerated but recognized and adopted its use." 
To the same effect are all contemporary observers. 

^^° Cf. a most remarkable passage at the end 
of Mr. John T. Morse Jr.'s Life of Abraham 
Lincoln in " American Statesmen," in Vol. II on 
pages 355, 356, 357, which as a whole and in 
many particulars I believe to be untrue and ex- 
tremely misleading. In any event no such words 
have ever before been written by an experienced 
and sober biographer of a person of admittedly 
human origin. 

^^^ There was a great deal in Lincoln's life that 
was common to many Americans born in the Mid- 
dle West during the early part of the last century, 
for instance, existence in a log cabin far from 

[94] 



NOTES 

civilization. In these respects he was not peculiar, 
although the constant dwelling on them by his 
biographers tend to make him seem so. So there 
was much else in his life common to many men, 
which his biographers tend to make unduly 
peculiar to himself, for instance, his first love 
affair. 

^^^ B. 343; cf. the words of a writer in the Lon- 
don Nation, " The greatness of Lincoln was that 
of a common man raised to a high dimension," 
quoted by George Haven Putnam in his book en- 
titled "Abraham Lincoln" on page 198, and also 
cf. Robert G. Ingersoll's words, " Lincoln was an 
immense personality" in R. R. on page 312. 



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